Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, the "Mother of the Blues," is the title character of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Her band is there to perform the music her way. Viola Davis perfectly embodies Ma's dominating personality, but Chadwick Boseman, in his final role, equally dominates the film as her trumpeter, Levee.

Anyway, it's Chicago in 1927. Levee and the other members of Ma's band, Cutler (Colman Domingo), Slow Drag (Michael Potts) and Toledo (Glynn Turman) assemble to record Ma's latest album. Levee is looking to strike out on his own. He wants to re-arrange the title song to something jazzier. But the others aren't won over by his attitude. Neither is Ma, who arrives late to the session with her girlfriend, Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige) and nephew, Sylvester (Dusan Brown). The conflicts within the band eventually explode.

The film was directed by George C. Wolfe, who, among his theatre credits, directed both parts of Angels in America. The screenplay was adapted by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who also starred in Wolfe's Jelly's Last Jam. The resulting ninety-four minutes are dynamic. No scene or bit of dialogue is wasted in the transition. We get to know the characters and how life treated them. You'll barely notice the story's stage play origins. 

Boseman as Levee leaves the strongest impression. He's introduced as a swaggering dreamer ready to hit it big. He's so full of himself that he doesn't care how he'll make it. But he's not some naïve fool. We understand his persona with some intense monologues. He's just waiting to erupt with rage and he finally does so. The climax sees him at his scariest and most unreasonable. 

Now for the title character. The film wastes no time establishing her persona. We see her argue with a cop after a traffic accident outside the studio. We see her march in over her manager, Irvin, and producer Sturdyvant. She quickly shoots down Levee's arrangement idea. She's difficult, but we understand her. We see her world-weariness in her disheveled face (great makeup work). She needs to be heard by the uncaring world. And if she'll be a diva, so be it. Davis's performance gives the film another strong note.

There are some great technical stars. Editor Andrew Mondsheim opens the film with a great montage establishing Ma's presence in the 20's. The recording of the title song is an excellent musical sequence … which amplifies the disappointment when it's revealed the microphone is busted! Cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler draws a contrast between the claustrophobic recording studio and the vibrant Chicago outside. He and production designer Mark Ricker paint an apt metaphor for Levee's situation near the end. Nowhere to go. Costume Designer Ann Roth and the sound designers also deserve whatever praise comes their way.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is another strong addition to an unusual film year. The next Oscars are in April, so you have plenty of time to see it on Netflix. I mean, neither you or Oscar will forget its stars. They won't let you forget. Keep in mind that it doesn't end happily for all. 

Wonder Woman 1984

While Zack Snyder finishes his version of Justice League, Patty Jenkins continues the adventures of one of the League's best. Wonder Woman goes straight from World War I to the Cold War in the aptly named Wonder Woman 1984. It's not as awful as some reviews have stated. Let's see why.

In the titular year, Diana (Gal Gadot) works at the Smithsonian as an anthropologist. She also fights crime as Wonder Woman. The two professions meet when, after a robbery, the FBI hands Diana a bunch of stolen goods. One of them is a "Dreamstone" which grants wishes the Monkey's Paw way. She accidentally wishes Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who perished in World War I, back from the dead. But it's in another man's body. And also, because of her wish, her formidable physical powers vanish.

Meanwhile, dirt broke businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) merges with the stone and becomes the world's richest genie. But the Monkey's Paw rule brings the world straight into World War III. The only way to undo the damage is to get everyone to renounce their wishes. It's painful for Diana, but easier for her than her co-worker, Barbara (Kristin Wiig), who wished herself some confidence and won't give it up without a fight.

Jenkins and her co-writers Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham keep it going decently for 151 minutes. It starts off with young Diana participating in her home island, Themyscira's version of the Olympics. It does thematically set-up the film's McGuffin. The "present day" opening gives Diana plenty of comical superheroics on the way to the robbery. Diana thwarting the robbery is a spectacular sequence. The film spends its time developing its characters in some engaging scenes. It's a slow plot, but it's got some good ideas.

Perhaps the best ideas come from the villains. Pascal as Lord starts off as a vapid 80s tycoon. But we see how he's trapped by his public persona. He becomes an misguided megalomaniac when he merges with the stone. But fortunately, Diana is able to make him see the error of his ways. Wiig as Barbara goes from likable to vicious during the movie. She makes a great personal antagonist for Diana, especially when she becomes The Cheetah. 

Gadot is still engaging as Diana/Wonder Woman. We see her as lonely and world weary; seems understandable for someone as long-lived as her. We can understand why she would hesitate to renounce her wish. Whether one can empathize with it is apparently a deal breaker for some reviewers. But her taking action as Wonder Woman is awesome. Her chemistry with Steve is still endearing.

Production Designer Aline Bonetto, Cinematographer Matthew Jensen and Costume Designer Lindy Hemming return to produce a vibrant world for Diana to inhabit. The film looks great whether it's on Themyscira or a Washington DC Mall. The Cheetah was created with CGI, but it looks so much like prosthetic makeup. It's just that good. Hans Zimmer adds to the aural excellence with his score. It's mostly subdued but it amplifies the emotional moments.

Wonder Woman 1984 is a good diversion from the dour real world. It's a spectacular blockbuster even if it's not as resonant as the first film. I'd say it's worth the price of an HBO Max subscription. It's also wherever there are movie theaters. See it whichever legal way you can. Nothing can top the dreariness of the current news cycle.

The Personal History of David Copperfield

It's Christmas time, again. So let's finally look at another rendition of a Charles Dickens novel. David Copperfield, essentially Dickens' autobiography, has been rendered many times before. This time, it's Armando Iannucci's turn to tell The Personal History of David Copperfield.

It's kind of a long title. But nowhere near as long as the novel's full title: The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account).

David Copperfield (Dev Patel) tells the audience, both in-story and the real world, about his life. Born to a widowed mother, young David (Jairaj Varsani) is abused by his stepfather, Mr. Murdstone (Darren Boyd), who sends him away to a workhouse. His family there is the eccentric debt-ridden Micaawbers. When David's mother dies, he tells the Murdstones off and he goes to his also eccentric Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton). David soon finds employment with Mr. Spenlow (Matthew Cottle), falls for his daughter, Dora (Morfydd Clark), then rises to become a famous storyteller.

Iannucci and co-writer Simon Blackwell re-arrange or edits out bits of the novel for a nicely paced two hours. The storytelling devices make it a fun and unique take. David's introduction, addressing a Victorian audience, calls to mind Dickens' live-readings of A Christmas Carol. He literally walks through the first years of his life. Flashbacks are projected on the walls like movies. There's even a bit of silent movie undercranked wackiness. Mr. Micawber's (Peter Capaldi) introduction sees him deftly evade creditors like Chaplin or Keaton. Still, Murdstone abusing David wasn't fun at all. 

Dev Patel as David is very much the hero of his own story, and an engaging one at that. But the eccentric characters along the way are quite memorable. Swinton as Betsey is hysterical, as is Hugh Laurie as her friend, Mr. Dick. Clark is great as Dora, as well as David's mother, Clara. Boyd as Murdstone is a cruel and contemptible villain. Ben Whishaw stands out as the sniveling, scheming Mama's boy, Uriah Heep. Capaldi as Mr. Micawber, though, is the best of the ensemble. Bennett Wong and Rosalind Eleazar are also good as Mr. Wickfield and his daughter, Agnes. There's just so many highlights in this great ensemble. 

It's also a great looking and sounding film. The costume designs by Suzie Harman and Robert Worley are striking, but the best is Mr. Micawber's stylish wardrobe. The cinematography and production design is just as vibrant as the costumes. The boat house is a wonderfully unique locale. Christopher Willis's grand score adds to the film's larger-than-life story.

This is certainly Iannucci's most optimistic film. The Personal History of David Copperfield is a crowd-pleasing (even if that crowd is just a household now) film with a wonderful cast of characters. Its lighthearted tone hasn't forgotten how serious Dickens can get, though. But it turns out all right in the end. Although it came out in August, this film is sure to make a great holiday movie. 

The Witches

 What happened to my good movie year? I had a lot of good movies lined up to see this year and now, zilch. My movie year's been cursed. Must have been a witch.

Yeah, witches.

Now that my family has HBOMax, it's time to make my comeback with another Roald Dahl cinematic rendering. The Witches was already conjured to the cinematic plane in 1990. A film best remembered for its main villain, creepy PG-rated special effects and makeup work and driving the terminally ill Dahl to publicly protest its altered ending. Wonder how he'd take to this rendering?

The unnamed narrator (Chris Rock) tells the audience about his youth. As an orphan boy (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno), he's sent to his also unnamed grandma (Octavia Spencer) in Alabama. He encounters an obviously evil lady offering him candy, but he doesn't fall for it. Good call. The lady, as grandma explains, is a witch who seek to rid the world of kids. Grandma and Grandson head for a hotel for safety.

Unfortunately, they arrive in time for a convention of witches led by The Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway) herself. She plans to turn all the kids in the world into mice. She demonstrates her new mousifying potion on another kid, Bruno (Codie-Lei Eastick) and then, the narrator himself. The rest of the movie is about them, a fellow mousified kid named Mary (Kristin Chenoweth), and Grandma as they prevent the witches from enacting their plot even further.

Director Robert Zemeckis cowrote the film with Guillermo Del Toro and Kenya Barris. Anyone who's seen the first film will recognize the same story beats albeit with some divergences. Its ending is closer to Dahl's. Its first 45 minutes or so go by pretty quickly thanks to good acting from Spencer and Bruno. Its special effects whiplash the film's tone, though. Some scenes are scary (see Grandma's friend Alice get chickenized), while some are silly (mousified victims get rocketed into the air). The digital creatures are just too obvious. Overall, it's nowhere near as nightmarish as the first film.

The other technical elements mix together better. Gary Freeman's production design and Don Burgess's cinematography paint a suitably gothic picture. The Hotel and Grandma's house make for memorable locations. The makeup department conjurs up creepy images for the Witches' true forms. While their three-clawed hands and fanged Glasgow grins are CGI, I can't tell if their toeless feet are. Let's not forget another great score from Alan Silvestri to set the intended tone.

Let's talk about some of the stars. Hathaway as The Grand High Witch is best when she's subtle. She vaporizes a Witch who asked her about the logistics of her plot and only a second later considers it a valid point. Her Grand High Villain Speech a bit earlier is a bit much, especially with her flying and her Glasgow fangs. Spencer as Grandma is equally warm and formidable. As stated before, her bonding with her Grandson helps make the time go by. And finally, Stanley Tucci makes the most of his smaller screentime as hotel manager Mr. Springer.

If anything, this version of The Witches is an ok enough representation of the story. A bit more work on the visual effects could've helped the verisimilitude. But there's still some creepiness in the cauldron. It's a decent home matinee if you have HBOMax. For everyone else, there's regular HBO or eventual physical media.

Onward

Onward to a new Pixar story!

And not a sequel!

Pixar's latest release is the fantastical road-trip movie Onward. It's got some fun ideas and a bit of soul (not to be confused with Pixar's June release, Soul) but its pacing throws it off balance. Read on for more.

Once upon a time, the creatures of fantasy had magic to do. Today, their magical world looks like ours. In this world, elven brothers Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) Lightfoot live in New Mushroomton with mom Laurel (Julie Louis-Dreyfus). Their dad, Wilden, died before Ian was born. Ian gets a convenient present for his sixteenth birthday: a magic staff, a rare Phoenix Gem and a spell that can bring their dad back for one day. After Barley tries his luck, Ian makes the spell work ...

… halfway!

Only Wilden's lower half materializes before the gem breaks. There's another gem that can finish the spell. So Ian, Barley and their dad go on an epic quest in Barley's van, Guinevere. They have to deal with the cops, led by step-dad Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez). A pixie biker gang. A booby trapped dungeon. These obstacles threaten the brothers' bond. Of course, they'll have to work together to defeat the menace guarding the gem.

Director Dan Scanlon and his two co-writers spin a fine suburban fable. Their fantastical twists to modern life provide many laughs. One of the best concerns Corey the Manticore (Olivia Spencer), a former adventurer struggling to live a normal life as a restaurateur. Her B-Quest with Laurel to find her pawned-off sword is entertaining, even if it slightly disrupts the momentum of the A-Quest. The film's shout outs to Dungeons and Dragons, one being Barley's favorite game, were cool. Still, its abundant obstacles sometimes prolong the basic plot too much. The resolution is a bit of a letdown.

But it's far from a disaster. Ian and Barley carry the quest with ease. We see Barley's inner big brother emerge from a boisterous lout. We see Ian become a confidant young elf. Pratt and Holland's voice work lets us believe their magical tale. In fact, the voice work all around is magical. Corey the Manticore and the Pixie gang are standouts.

Pixar's technical mages do their jobs well. New Mushroomton is a visually appealing place. The character designers conjur up a wonderfully eclectic cast of fantasy creatures. The film's final boss is a monstrous - and somewhat silly looking - dragon formed from a chunk of Ian's school. Animating it probably wasn't easy. A Gelatinous Cube, a creature from D&D, serves as the semi-final boss. Its scene was both tense and funny. On the aural side, its best achievement was Jeff and Mychael Danna's score.

Onward isn't as emotionally challenging as Coco or Toy Story 4. But it's still a fun adventure. It's probably what a D&D session feels like without excessive number-crunching. Or, much time to breath after every encounter. Maybe that's why its 102 minutes feel longer than they sometimes are. It's still worth a matinee.

Its most emotional moments come from its preceding cartoon. Playdate with Destiny stars Maggie Simpson as she falls for a fellow toddler. It was a cute short with an emotional and funny climax. It's enough to hope for a new Simpsons movie.

The Call of the Wild

One of the last films distributed by the late Twentieth Century Pictures was their take on Jack London's novel The Call of the Wild. This year, the first film by the newly renamed Twentieth Century Studios is another take on the same novel. Let's see how it is.

During the Gold Rush, Buck the Dog was Judge Miller's (Bradley Whitford) pampered pooch. Dognappers take him and sell him up to the Yukon. Buck is sold as a sled dog to mailcarriers Perault (Omar Sy) and Francoise (Cara Gee). Buck asserts himself against the mean Alpha Dog, Spitz, and becomes the new top dog. And then, the mail route is cancelled.

It's about halfway into the 100 minute runtime that we're really introduced to its narrator - John Thornton (Harrison Ford). He and Buck met a few times during the film. But Thornton finally becomes relevant when he liberates Buck from his new and incompetent owners. Thornton decides to go off the map with Buck and explore whatever wilderness comes their way. Buck finds a wolf pack and decides to join them.

Oh yes, remember the new and incompetent owners Thornton liberated Buck from? One of them, Hal (Dan Stevens), decides to follow them into the wild with murderous gold fever.

This marks the live-action and solo directorial debut of Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch, How to Train your Dragon). The screenplay by Michael Green probably could've used a different narrator. We get Buck's adventures narrated by someone he really meets halfway through. And at the end, you'll wonder how he even narrated them at all. It ends up making their eventual meeting too long coming. Along the way, we get some captivating character plots that are never addressed again. Perhaps that's a consequence of it adapting an episodic novel.

Buck's CGI realization may make or break the film. He's a very expressive dog; so expressive, one may expect him or his sled mates to start talking. They don't. But we feel for him when abusive humans threaten him. We also laugh when he acts roughly or hides Thornton's liquor. On the other hand, his CGI is sometimes too obvious. Still, his expressive face justifies the CGI.

The realization of the 1800s makes great use of CGI and production designer Stefan Dechant's sets. A few standout scenes include Buck's outmaneuvering an avalanche, his rescue of Francoise from a frozen river and his battle with Spitz. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski helps create the stunning nature views. The action is set to another strong score by John Powell.

What about the human cast? To start, Ford is likable as an old outdoorsman who learns to embrace company. Stevens is perfectly detestable as Hal; his companions, Mercedes (Karen Gillian) and Charles (Colin Woodell), start off as unlikable idiots before their sanity kicks in. Sy and Gee are likable as Perrault and Francois. One of the best bit characters is Edenshaw (Michael Horse), who intervenes when Hal tries to beat up Thornton.

The Call of the Wild has to deal with its slightly uneven tone. It goes from silly to serious somewhat quickly. Buck's abduction and cruel treatment is very terrifying. The introduction of the ragtag bunch of losers that make up most of his sled team is silly. I could go on, but I can't. It's nowhere as rough as the novel, and some of its most questionable elements are gone. The most basic story is still present despite the changes. It's still an epic adventure story about a dog discovering his inner wolf. See it at any price.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Faster than a Speeding Plumber!

Bouncier than a Mighty Mouse!

Able to speed through levels in a single day!

And now, after nearly thirty years, he's on the big screen! Jethro, how'd it go?

I thought you'd never ask, Baxter.

I did.

….

We're talking about Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega's video game star. His movie opens with him (as voiced by Ben Schwartz) on the run from baddies. They all want his super-speed for some reason. He escapes his home planet with magic rings that let him go anywhere in the universe. He eventually finds himself in Green Hills, Montana, where his "best friends" are Sheriff Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), though they don't know he exists. 

Tom is about to move to San Francisco. That is, until Sonic accidentally blackouts much of the Pacific Northwest. The US Government calls up the mad Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to investigate. Sonic tries to ring himself to another planet when Tom shows up. His bag of rings ring themselves on top of the Transamerica Pyramid. Sonic needs Tom's sense of direction to get him to San Francisco. They have to hurry before Robotnik and his drones catch up with them. Gotta go fast.

Director Jeff Fowler (Oscar Nominee for the short, Gopher Broke) and his writers keep it fast. We first see Sonic and Robotnik speed-dueling in San Francisco before it literally rewinds through the whole movie. Once queued up, the movie gives us a concise and speedy plot. Barely any scene is wasted. A few questions, especially the secret of Sonic's speed, are seemingly left for a sequel to explain. We also get some logistical questions that make sense if you think them over. 

Sonic makes for a good protagonist. He's quick-witted and sarcastic, but he's really a lonely nice guy. He never ruins his goodwill with crass humor. We're easily on his side all the way through. The visual effects artists deserve extra pay for retooling Sonic's earlier much-derided first design to match his video game self on short notice. The retool was pretty seamless, mostly. His superspeed effects are astounding; his slo-mo runs are just as good as Quicksilver's in the X-Men movies.

And the others. Jim Carrey as Robotnik steals the show with his manic personality. He's legitimately formidable once he gets serious, though he's also sometimes funny too. James Marsden makes for a good human pal as Tom. We get his frustrations with small-town life and his desire to move on. His arc ended nicely, though somewhat too quickly. Sumpter as Maddie did fine with her relatively smaller role. Lee Majdoub was memorable as Robotnik's yes-man, Agent Stone; the military men were mostly forgettable save for Maj. Bennington (Neal McDonough).

Sonic the Hedgehog makes for a fine matinee. The story is basic, though it's mostly easy to understand. It's a silly escapade, so don't expect some dramatic weight (Sonic's dead? No, he's not.) Again, I hope the sequel explains what this movie didn't. We get a preview of a prospective sequel with one last character arrival in the mid-credits. That gets my interest.

Birds of Prey

Joker proved that he could headline a movie without Batman. Now it's time for his right-hand harlequin to get her own movie. Margot Robbie returns from Suicide Squad as the looney Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn).

Harley Quinn is a free bird. The Joker dumped her and left her without a purpose. So she tries to find her calling in Gotham City. But without "Mr. J," she doesn't have the freedom to annoy everybody she wants. One such annoyed man is dapper kingpin Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). But he has bigger (smaller?) concerns right now.

Roman wants a MacGuffin diamond, but young pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) swiped it. Roman lets Harley go after Cassie and the diamond. He also sends Gotham's criminals after them too. Harley isn't about to give up her quarry without a fight. She decides to protect Cassie and take her on as an apprentice. A Robin for her Batman.

Meanwhile, Gotham Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) gets on Harley's case. The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) wants the diamond for personal reasons. Dinah Lance, the Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), is inducted into Roman's services. They get together to oppose Roman, his vile henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), and their army of goons.

Everybody get that?

Director Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) and screenwriter Christina Hodson let Harley narrate the proceedings. An animated prologue tells us Harley's life up to her breakup. She frequently goes back and forth in time during her narration (i.e. Why is Harley raiding the police station? The next scenes fill us in.). The unchronological narrative makes sense considering the perspective. The only flaw is that the backtracking tends to kill some of the momentum. Fortunately, it gradually fades away, leading to a spectacular finale.

Harley is an entertainingly unapologetic criminal. Her would-be assailants have some legitimate grievances, but her audacity makes these encounters hilarious. Her time with Cassie shows how selfless she can be. Cassie herself is another great character. We understand her cynicism once we hear her foster parents violently argue. Cassie reacts to Harley's rundown apartment with awe; that says a lot. She's not much of a fighter, but her craftiness is put to great use in the finale.

The other Birds are great. The Huntress's comical seriousness is hilarious in-spite of her violent backstory. Renee Montoya spends the movie dealing with Harley and sexism in the Gotham Police. We're on her side all the way on the latter part; on the former, only a bit. Dinah spends the movie dealing with her mother's legacy and her current employers. She's as compassionate as she is an amazing fighter.

What about the villains? Roman Sionis is usually a suave and hammy gentleman, but that makes him scary. I mean, he has the daughter of a rival executed - a minute after sparing her - for the pettiest of reasons. Zsasz is all too willing to help him in his misdeeds. This makes their ultimate defeats all the more satisfying.

The film is a visual delight. Production Designer KK Barrett, Costume Designer Erin Benach and Cinematographer Matthew Libatique join forces to create a colorful world. A few highlights include Roman's nightclub, the Amusement Park in the finale and Harley and Roman's combined wardrobe. We also get some great CGI to realize Harley's pet Hyena, Bruce. The makeup artistry is just as good as Suicide Squad's Oscar-winning work (I know others had problems with it, but not me.).

I need to wrap up soon. So I'll conclude by saying that Birds of Prey is as delightfully wacky as its main character. Its eccentric narration easily excuse some narrative issues. Its ensemble makes for an entertaining bunch of comic book characters. Let's hope the Academy remembers its alluring visual design next year while it honors Mr. J.'s movie tomorrow.

Yes. See it now. See it soon.

Klaus

I should have seen Klaus, a Netflix animated film about Santa Claus, last month during Christmastime. But, nope. Don't ask me why. I finally saw it after it won the Annie Award for Best Animated Film last Saturday. Let's do it.

The story conceived by director Sergio Pablos and his co-writers begins with Jesper Johanssen (Jason Schwartzman), a slacker postman-in-training. His father, the Postmaster General, ships him out to the town of Smeerensberg with an ultimatum. Jesper will get disowned unless he posts six thousand letters. The town is populated by the feuding clans of the Krums and the Ellingboes. Neither side wants - or even knows how - to send letters.

One day, Jesper meets a reclusive craftsman named Klaus (JK Simmons). They join forces - Jesper, a bit reluctantly - to deliver a toy to a lonely Krum boy. Jesper's post office is flooded with letters for Klaus. The toy delivery business brings peace and goodwill to Smeerensberg. The clan leaders are abhorred by the niceness and they decide to do something about it.

It's a shame that this never got a full theatrical release. Its unique animation style would've been amazing on the big screen. Its style uses hand-drawn animation with digital shading. This results in characters who look CGI and behave like traditional cartoons. You'd only know the difference if you watched some behind-the-scenes footage.

Its screen story is an emotional tale. The Krums and Ellingboes hate each other so much that their feud is a proud tradition. That's funny. It's even more hilarious to see Jesper's Postman Training Academy treated like West Point for Postmen. It's also fun to see how Jesper and Klaus establish some of Santa Claus's quirks. A few highlights include the flying reindeer sleigh and the naughty list. It's so moving to see the toy delivery business brings about neighborly love. A few plot points seem like clichés - including Klaus and Jesper's temporary fallouts - but who cares? Its story is that endearing.

Now for the voice cast. Schwartzman as Jesper is sure to remind one of Kuzco from The Emperor's New Groove. Like Kuzco, his arc from selfish slacker to selfless hero is compelling. Simmons as Klaus is a soft soul with great deadpan humor, though he is scary when angry. Rashida Jones voices Alva, the schoolteacher turned fishmonger turned schoolteacher (long story) who warms up to Jesper. She's a great presence all around. Joan Cusack and Will Sasso voice Mrs. Krum and Mr. Elligboe, respectively, and are both effective villains. Pablos voices their hulking kids, Olaf and Pumpkin, who inadvertently help end the feud.

Again, it stinks that Klaus couldn't get a wide theatrical release. Its miniscule theatrical release got it an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Its strong story and appealing animation give it a very plausible chance of winning. It's waiting for you to Netflix and chill with it. So see it before this year's way early Oscars on February 9th. You may not be disappointed.

Dolittle

20th Century (Fox) has an interesting history with Hugh Lofting's whimsical veterinarian Doctor Dolittle. Their first attempt was a 1967 musical that nearly bankrupted them. Their second attempt was a 1998 Eddie Murphy vehicle that took the barest concept to modern times. Universal gets its shot at the character just as 20th Century Fox drops the Fox in its name. The end result is Dolittle.

John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr) talks to the animals. He was a veterinarian until his wife was lost at sea. So he and his animal friends shun the world in their gigantic estate. One day, Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) accidentally shoots Kevin the Squirrel (Craig Robinson) and brings him to Dolittle. The same day, Lady Rose (Carmel Laniado) summons Dolittle to Buckingham. Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) is dying and she needs Dolittle's help. If she dies, Dolittle and his animal friends will be thrown out onto the streets.

Jip the Dog (Tom Holland) smells that someone poisoned Her Highness with nightshade. The only cure is the fruit of the Eden Tree, so Dolittle and his menagerie set off to find it. Tommy tags along, too. Meanwhile, the movie doesn't even try to hide that Jip's right on the money. The evil Lord Badgely (Jim Broadbent) and Dr. Mudfly (Michael Sheen) are behind it all. Dr. Mudfly sets off after Dolittle while Lord Badgely waits for the crown.

The film's director is a peculiar choice: Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for writing Traffic, and who directed George Clooney to an Oscar in Syriana. Needless to say, it's unlike anything in his filmography. He and his co-writers have some good ideas buried in a frantic tone. It favors non-stop action and humor more than pathos. The climax is a long, crass joke, though it does allow for Dolittle to do a little doctoring. Tommy and Rose end up together despite barely sharing screentime together. Oh yeah, and at one point, an orangutan with "dance fever" shows up for a single shot. Where did he come from?

Downey Jr. does OK as Dolittle. His tragic past is set up perfectly in the animated prologue. But he's a doddering fool when we first see him in the flesh. That's a bit of a disconnect. But he quickly regains his wits when Tommy brings Kevin. We do see him affected by his past a few times. But the frantic tone blunts most of the potential drama's impact. The end was more "meh, OK" than "how moving."

Some of the supporting cast did better. The highlights are Emma Thompson as Polynesia the Parrot, Antonio Banderas as Dolittle's ex-father in law, King Rassouli, and Ralph Fiennes as Barry the Tiger. Marion Cotillard and Selena Gomez make the most of their painfully limited screentime as Tutu the Fox and Betsy the Giraffe. A few funny bits come from Kumail Nanjiani as Plimpton the Ostrich and John Cena as Yoshi the Polar Bear. The best bit character is a precocious lion cub.

The animals are mainly CGI creatures. They look like real animals and express themselves much like humans. A few shots, mainly of Polynesia flying, are obvious CGI, but everything else was good. Danny Elfman's score was OK, while the production and costume designs were fine. Moving on.

A lot of Dolittle's problems are traced to a nightmarish and protracted production. That includes the obvious dubbing throughout the film; nevermind that I barely noticed it while others did. It's an amusing matinee and nothing else. If you want to introduce Doctor Dolittle, in his original setting and without its most problematic content, to your kids, this is an OK start. But I'll bet much that a lot of better family films will come later this year.

1917

Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Oscar nominations come
after five o'clock.

That's right. The 92nd Oscar Nominations are set for tomorrow. It's fitting, perhaps, that the last major film (I think) on my to-see list centers on a looming deadline. It's the war movie 1917 directed and co-written by Sam Mendes.

April 6th, 1917. British soldiers Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are called before General Erinmore (Colin Firth) for an urgent mission. The 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, which includes Blake's brother Lt. Joseph, has seemingly routed the German Army to the Hindenburg Line. The Devons plan to rout the Germans some more in a daybreak attack. Unfortunately, the Devons are walking into a trap. Our heroes have to deliver the orders to call off the attack.

The rest of the movie follows our heroes as they travel the no man's land. Literally follow, for much like Birdman, the film is stitched together to appear as mostly one take. The mission pushes our heroes, one of whom bites it half-way through, to their limits. Will they get there on time?

Mendes and his co-writer, Krysty Wilson-Cairns, barely waste precious seconds. The film opens with our heroes woken up from a nap and going to get their mission. The film shows their encounters with such perils as a booby trapped bunker, barbed wire, a shellshocked pilot, a sniper, a broken bridge and skeptical soldiers. We see, as they see, how unpleasant war gets. We also get some cameos along the way. A few notables are Mark Strong as Captain Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch as the Devons's Colonel Mackenzie.

There are plenty of technical stars on the frontlines. Chief among them are production designer Dennis Gassner, editor Lee Smith and cinematographer Roger Deakins. The film's vision of war-torn France is perfectly nightmarish; it's best exemplified by its rendition of Ecoust-Saint-Mein at night. A city in darkness, momentarily lit by ominous light from nearby fires. An alluring, yet unsettling sight. The only obvious cut is when the film skips from late afternoon to way early morning. All the other cuts are practically invisible.

Our heroes, Schofield and Blake, are great characters. Blake is a nice guy, while Schofield is determined to impossible degrees. The camera barely lets them out of our sights. They're as present as Thomas Newman's melancholically score. It barely reprieves us of whatever sights and perils they encounter. We're invested in their mission and are relieved when it's over.

This year's speculations are almost over. The Oscar nominations are around nine hours from now. You will hear a lot about 1917 starting tomorrow. Its plot maybe thin and somewhat familiar, but it's rarely, if ever, boring. Its compelling leads and stunning imagery easily guides its audience through 119 minutes. See it on the biggest screen possible. See it soon. Its time in theaters won't last forever.

The Farewell

The Farewell was a film that I meant to see last fall. But I got lazy. It's time to catch up now that I saw it on streaming. It's been a few days since I saw it on streaming, but OK. Let's go.

The film is "based on an actual lie" recounted by writer/director Lulu Wang, which was previously told on This American Life. Lulu Wang is represented by Billi Wang (Awkwafina). One day, Billi learns that her grandmother - Nai Nai in Chinese (Zhao Shuzhen) - is dying of lung cancer. Chinese custom forbids the family from telling Nai Nai of her condition. Instead, the family bears the news alone.

The family organizes the wedding of Billi's cousin Hao Hao (Han Chen), and his girlfriend, Aiko (Aoi Mizuhara), as a way to secretly say goodbye. Much of the film has Billi stuck between honoring her family's request or spilling the beans. The quick wedding ends up bringing the family closer together; more than they realize.

The film lets us see the seriousness and hilarity of the situation. We see Billi and Nai Nai's endearing relationship and understand her dread over losing her. We also see the family's dread, too, even when they try to hide it. This leads to a lot of tension between the family. But we also have time to laugh during their family time. A highlight is a visit to their grandfather's grave and quibbling over what to leave him. The climactic wedding has plenty of laughs even as the ruse nearly breaks.

The standouts of the cast are, of course, Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. I already mentioned their endearing relationship as Billi and Nai Nai. Individually, they're hilarious and moving characters. Lu Hong, Wang's real life Great Aunt, plays herself, and she's just as compelling as Nai Nai. Other highlights of the cast include Tzi Ma, as Billi's dad Hayan and Yongbo Jiang as Billi's uncle Haibin, and the aforementioned Han Chen and Aoi Mizuhara.

Now for a few technical highlights. Alex Weston's often somber score was recently shortlisted for the Oscar. It fits with the sentimental tone pretty well. Cinematographer Anna Franquesa Solano gives us some great views of Beijing and some stylish takes.

Who knows if The Farewell will be cited in next week's Oscar nominations. The original screenplay category, in particular, is pretty competitive this year. But Oscar or not, The Farewell is a captivating look at cultural differences in one family. Awkwafina certainly earned her Golden Globe for her strong performance. You can see why if you see it soon.

Uncut Gems

Here's the film that I thought about seeing on New Years Day.

Good thing I didn't.

Uncut Gems is a comedy of grievous errors. A lot of things go wrong for one Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler). Some of it is absurd. Some of it is intense. Even both. Who is Howard and what is his life story?

Howard's a jewel dealer in New York in debt to the mob. Specifically, it's to his brother-in-law, Arno (Eric Bogosian). His marriage to Dinah (Idina Menzel) is a sinking ship. His affair with Julia (Julia Fox), an employee, is only slightly better. He hopes to revive his fortunes by selling an uncut opal at auction. Celtics Super Star Kevin Garnett (as himself) wants the opal as a good luck charm. Howard agrees to let him have it for a while. But Garnett wants to hold on to it longer. Unfortunately for Howard, Arno and his two goons have very little patience.

This was directed by filmmaking brothers Ben and Josh Safdie. They and their co-writer, Ronald Bronstein, open their Kafka-esque comedy with a mining accident in Ethiopia. It leads to the discovery of the opal, a surreal trip inside it and then, a surreal trip inside Howard. Weird, no? The rest of the film's 135 minutes show Howard digging his grave with a series of stupid mistakes. He also gets into shouting matches with almost everyone. It proves unbearable after the third or forth argument.

Sandler is slightly compelling as Howard. Yes, he's rude to pretty much everyone throughout the story. But he knows he's a screwup and is trying to do better. Trying, anyway. He doesn't know when to fold it, which directly leads to his final mistake. Indeed, everything that happens to him is his fault. It's hard to care about his ultimate fate.

Among the rest of the cast, Menzel makes the most of her screen time as Dinah. Arno's two goons, Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik), prove even less likable than Howard. Arno himself starts off as a jerk, though we soon see his sympathetic side. Julia is the film's most likable character. Garnett is a standout as himself.

There are two technical standouts. The first is cinematographer Darius Khondji, for his gritty and colorful work. The trips inside the diamond's insides look like a trip through the cosmos. Howard's world is appropriately less colorful. The other star is composer Daniel Lopatin. His booming score makes Howard's dark life most obvious.

Uncut Gems is for anyone who loves the darkest of comedies. It's probably the funniest Kafka-esque comedy ever made. Maybe that's why I barely laughed at all. All the screaming didn't do it for me. See it if you can find some humor in the madness.

Or rather, a diamond in the rough.

Spies in Disguise

I wasn't in the mood for a serious film this New Year's Day. So I went for the birds. Fox's animated spy comedy Spies in Disguise is here for some family-friendly superspy action. Let's get on the case.

Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is the best secret agent of HTUV. On his latest mission, he's sent to take back an Attack Drone from arms dealer Katsu Kimura (Masi Oka). But it falls into the hands - one being a robot claw - of supervillain Killian (Ben Mendelsohn). To make it worse, Killian frames Lance for the theft. Lance goes on the run. Special Agent Marcy Kappel (Rashida Jones) leads the manhunt against him.

Lance tracks down HTUV teen genius Walter Beckett (Tom Holland), who he dismissed hours earlier, and asks him for his newest invention: "biodynamic concealment." The potion changes Lance into a pigeon. They immediately go on the run to find Killian. While Lance insists he flies solo, literarily this time, he needs Walter's help to find the bad guys and get un-birded.

The film credits Lucas Martell's animated short Pigeon Impossible as the inspiration. That had a secret agent, also named Walter Beckett, deal with a pigeon in his flying, laser-shooting, nuclear suitcase. That's not what the writers - Cindy Davis, Brad Copeland and Lloyd Davis - thought up here. It's still a silly spy spoof involving a pigeon. The best gags involve Walter's non-lethal inventions; among them, glitter bombs that summon images of kittens. I wasn't too keen on the crude humor, though. It still takes Killian very seriously.

Its non-violence moral is simplistic. Lance embraces explosive weaponry because other agents died. We don't get to know any of these agents, but OK. Walter gets it better because we know he lost someone: his mother, Wendy, a police officer. We understand why he embraces non-violent weaponry. Killian gets it worst. He also lost people on the job, but he was a bad guy then and now. If anything, Lance's prior fight with him made him worse. It's hard to empathize with Killian. But it's easy to laugh when the final fight has the good guys embrace Walter's inventions.

It's also easy to embrace these characters. Lance starts off as an entertainingly arrogant secret agent. The film makes his character development into a team player fun to watch. Walter is likable all the way through. Lance's fellow pigeons, Lovey, Jeff and Crazy Eyes, are a fun bunch of birds. Killian, as I already alluded, is a very formidable threat. Marcy and her team, Eyes and Ears, are a good bunch of misguided antagonists. Overall, there's nobody to hate but the villain.

Some gross gags aside, it's one of the best looking animated films around. The production design by Michael Knapp visualizes some stunning locals from bad guy lairs to HTUV headquarters. The first fight scene is a visually stunning brawl between Lance and many Yakuza men. The animated cinematography by Renato Falcao makes it worthy of the big screen. The opening and end credits are appealing homages to James Bond's title scenes. There's also a good score by Theodore Shapiro to set the moods.

Spies in Disguise isn't an emotionally demanding film. There's a few deep moments, but you'll notice the silliness even more. Fortunately, its gags are more hit than miss. It's a good family matinee for a slow afternoon. But if you want a more serious spy caper, wait a few months for Daniel Craig's final, for real this time, James Bond film, No Time to Die.